No Matter What
by Kristen3
Summary: Pregnant for the second time, Daphne finds herself overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood. Can Niles find the words to comfort his beloved wife? One-shot. Post-"Goodnight, Seattle," obviously!


**Author's Note: **Thanks once again to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for helping me w/ drafts of this, and suggesting the title. Enjoy, and please do review! :)

Daphne stood in front of her closet, looking at all the clothes that no longer fit her. Being six months pregnant with her second child had taken its toll on her, both physically, and emotionally. The entire Crane family was excited to welcome the new baby. Even three-year-old David was thrilled at the prospect of being a big brother. But right now, all Daphne could think about was the way this pregnancy had affected her body. Weight had been an issue in her life long before this, and the memories came flooding back instantly. She had to remind herself that this was different. The cause of this weight gain was not compulsive overeating. This was a baby. And she already loved the child inside her.

She loved the life she and Niles shared now. It was a far cry from working all those years for Frasier. She had always wanted to be a mother, and taking care of people was what she did best. But lately, it seemed that was _all _she was doing. She had to not only do the housework and look after David, but also check up on Martin regulary. She knew she should be taking it easy, with the baby coming and all. But there always seemed to be so much to do. Errands to run, meals to make, and so on. Niles did his best to help, but his patients kept him busy. Daphne had always loved how caring her husband was, and that trait carried over into his working life.

With a sigh, Daphne began to close the closet door. But just as she did, she saw a photo album sitting on a shelf. She recognized it immediately. Niles had given it to her for Valentine's Day a few years ago. In it were pictures of the two of them, telling the story of how they'd first fallen in love. She hadn't looked at it in a long time, though. Since David was taking a nap at the moment, she decided now was a good time to change that. When she opened the book, the first photo she noticed was one from the night of the Snow Ball. It was one of Niles' favorite pictures of her. Daphne had always loved it, too, because that was one of the most memorable nights in her life. She remembered feeling like Cinderella at the ball. But now, the picture only made her sadder. That red sequined dress would never fit her in her current state. It was just one more reminder of what this pregnancy was doing to her. All she could do was stare at the photo, and wonder if Niles would ever look at her again the way he had that night.

A small voice brought Daphne back to the present. "Mommy?" She looked up to see her son standing in the doorway. David stayed frozen, surprised by the look on her face.

Daphne's heart melted at the sight of her son. It temporarily made her forget her sadness. "Come here, sweetheart."

David started to move, but still seemed unsure. "Did I do something bad?" he asked nervously.

Daphne smiled at that. "No, I was just looking at these pictures."

"Am I in them?" David asked as he finally walked over to where Daphne sat on the bed.

When David climbed up on the bed next her, Daphne put her arm around him so he could see the album. "No, these are just pictures of Daddy and me from a long time ago."

David saw the picture of his mother in the red dress. "Is that you?" he asked in disbelief.

Daphne nodded. "We went to a ball." Even mentioning the ball brought back a flood of memories.

David looked up at her, wide-eyed. "Wow, just like Cinderella!"

Daphne laughed. "That's what I thought, too." Suddenly Daphne remembered how that evening had ended. Without realizing it, she'd broken her future husband's heart. She hadn't known then that what he'd said to her on the dance floor was the way he actually felt about her.

David didn't know the story, but he could see the change in his mother's expression. "Are you sad?"

Daphne was amazed at how sensitive her son was. No doubt he'd inherited that trait from his father. "I am, a bit. A lot's happened since Daddy and I took that picture." Without even thinking about it, Daphne put her hand on her abdomen. She remembered how excited everyone was when they found out they were going to have David. There was no doubt that she and Niles adored their son, and they never forgot how lucky they were that they had made it this far. Daphne remembered that night in the vet's office, where she'd gone into labor unexpectedly. Back then, it seemed as if she and Niles were living a fairy tale. In some ways, that hadn't changed. After all, money was never an issue for them. And David was both happy and well-taken care of. But lately, Daphne felth she was in over her head, with everything she had to do for her family. She let out a small sigh.

David looked at her, slightly confused. "Are you still sad?"

Daphne nodded, "Yes, but not as much as before." Before she realized what was happening, David quickly threw his arms around her.

Still holding her, David looked up. "Do you feel better now?"

Once again, Daphne felt her heart melt. "Yes," she replied, smiling. She kissed her son's forehead. David was so much like his father, always wanting to make Daphne feel better. It made her remember how much she'd always loved Niles, even before she found out about his feelings.

As on cue, both Daphne and David heard the front door open. "I'm home, my love," came the familiar voice from downstairs.

"Daddy!" David yelled, racing down to meet his father.

Daphne stayed seated on the bed. Normally, she greeted her husband with a kiss at the door. But at the moment, she just didn't have the energy. The thought made her feel guilty, considering all that Niles did to provide for her and David. She loved Niles, and was grateful that he was such a good husband and father. Daphne wondered what on earth she could've done to deserve this life. Niles had always told her she was beautiful, but right now, she felt anything but beautiful. Just as she was about to let out a defeated sigh, she saw Niles and David enter the room.

"My love, what's wrong?" Niles asked, going toward her immediately.

"Oh, nothing, really. I'm just a bit tired," Daphne replied, fully aware that her son was standing nearby.

Niles kissed her and caressed her cheek. "While I was at work today, I thought about you constantly."

Daphne managed a smile. She knew it wouldn't fool him for a second.

Niles' heart broke, seeing his wife suffering like this. Immediately, he turned to David. "Why don't you go play in your room for a while? I'll come join you in a few minutes, OK?"

David nodded. He turned to Daphne, "Bye, Mommy."

This time, Daphne smiled for real. "Have fun."

David obediently left the room.

As soon as their son was out of earshot, Niles turned to Daphne. "What's wrong?" He kissed Daphne's cheek.

Daphne looked at the ground, trying to find the words to tell him how she felt. "Do you find me...attractive?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh, my love," Niles replied. "You know you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Daphne smiled slightly, knowing that was what she'd expected him to say. "I mean it, Niles. Look at me. I've put on an awful lot of weight lately, and I'll probably never be able to wear half the dresses in me closet again!" Tears began to fill her eyes.

Niles once again ran his finger along her cheek. He'd had no idea she was hurting this badly. "Daphne, you could never be unattractive to me. If your figure has changed some recently, it only makes you more beautiful. Because, what's inside here makes me the happiest man in the world." He laid his hand on her stomach.

Daphne kissed her husband, grateful for his answer. "I guess I've just been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Your father and Ronee are always telling me to take it easy, but it's not that simple. Not when I have me own home and family to take care of. It's not like I can just stop doing all those things just because I'm pregnant!"

"Daphne, nothing is more important to me than you, and this baby, and David. If you need to rest, then that's what you should do. You're always taking care of everyone else, but don't forget, you need to take care of _you_, too."

"But what about your father, and David, and..."

Niles silenced her with a kiss. "Dad and David can wait. I've got an idea. Why don't you and Roz go away for the weekend? You two could go to a spa, or even the beach. You make all the arrangements, and I'll take care of the bills."

"That sounds lovely," Daphne replied. "But what about you and David?"

"I think we can handle it. A little guys' time would be good for us." Niles grinned. "I haven't had much of that since Frasier left."

Daphne kissed him deeply. "You're such a wonderful husband."

Niles blushed. "I just want you to be happy, Daphne. You and David mean the world to me."

"I could never forget that," Daphne replied. "I guess let meself get a bit carried away. I was just so overwhelmed and I didn't know what to do!"

"You work very hard, taking care of this place, raising David, and doing Dad's therapy. Anyone would find that stressful," Niles said. "If there's anything else I can do to make things easier on you, just let me know."

Daphne kissed him once again, thankful that he was always so understanding. She knew that one weekend away wouldn't solve everything, and another baby would undoubtedly make her life even more difficult than it already was. But she knew how much Niles loved and cared about her. So whatever obstacles lay ahead, Daphne was more than ready to handle them. No matter what.


End file.
